Ministry says 30 websites published provocative content

REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA — Jakarta Police spokesman Commissioner Awi Setiyono said police could not delete dozens of accounts that have been blacklisted or marked due to the systems and legislation. “It’s not about blacklist. We watched, we will continue to monitor. The problem was, we can’t delete due to system and law, so we will ask Communications and Information Ministry (Kemenkominfo) as the provider,” Awi said after attended muster joint operation at the National Monument, Central Jakarta, Wednesday (11/2).

Awi said the police will coordinate with relevant agencies about the websites or social media account that attacked each candidate for Jakarta gubernatorial election. “We will cooperate with related institutions and Kemenkominfo. We will punish if there is a criminal act,” said Awi to Republika.co.id.

Meanwhile, Acting Communications and Information Ministry spokesman Noor Iza, said the ministry noticed there were dozens of provocative websites ahead of the Jakarta gubernatorial election that will be held in 2017. “We are monitoring about 30 websites, majority in the form of online news site,” Noor Iza said.

Those sites were contained radicalism and ethnic, religious, racial and intergroup (SARA) sentiments. Despite that, the ministry has not decided whether such sites will be blocked. Therefore, since the beginning of monitoring, the ministry already provided advice to the web administrator.

According to Noor Iza, some website administrator were willing to reduce the content that could potentially provoke the public. Furthermore, Noor explained that the ministry has not received reports from Jakarta Police related to 30 social media accounts contained provocative information. “We could not ensure websites that we have supervised. Therefore, the police have not been informed nor made a request to block websites,” said Noor Iza.

However the ministry expressed readiness to block social media account that are proven to spread provocative information. Blocking the accounts surely will be based on police report. “If the police requests to block the websites, we will do it,” said Noor Iza.